1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a pulverizer and more specifically to a pulverizer which reduces solid materials having moisture content to a powder-like material in a single pass through the pulverizer utilizing a plurality of radially extending flexible chains moving with respect to fixed anvils oriented outwardly of the ends of the chains and above the chains. The present invention is particularly adapted to pulverize solid materials having overall sizes between about 11/2 to about 2 inches to a size to pass through a 200 mesh screen in a single pass. The pulverizer is capable of removing moisture from solid materials having up to about 60% moisture by weight to produce a completely dry powder or dust-like material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various patents have been granted relating to developments in pulverizers, material crushers, material separators and the like in which various products are pulverized, crushed, fractured and separated.
The following U.S. patents disclose devices for pulverizing, crushing and fracturing and otherwise separating materials as to size and reducing moisture content:
______________________________________ 1,297,497 3,284,010 4,947,906 1,630,992 3,342,426 5,184,781 1,728,976 3,473,741 5,248,101 2,108,609 3,567,141 5,322,104 2,922,586 3,794,251 5,697,563 3,003,707 ______________________________________
While the above patents disclose various pulverizers, crushers, separators and the like, the previously patented devices are substantially different from the present invention in their method of operation and structural details.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,297,497 discloses an apparatus having chain flails and rib-plates in succession to fracture the husks from nuts and air flow to separate the components. This patent primarily uses the actual impact forces of the nut to do the fracturing and does not reduce all of the material contained into a fine-ground material. U.S. Pat. No. 1,630,992 discloses an apparatus for conveying and separating materials from a ball type mill. Ball mills use tumbling balls to impact and crush material repeatedly until it is small enough to pass out of the machine. U.S. Pat. No. 1,728,976 discloses a coal pulverizing apparatus using chain flails to impact and throw the material against the outer walls of the chamber thus fracturing the coal. The apparatus uses a succession of chains to progressively reduce the material as it passes through the cylinders. The apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 2,108,609 rejects the heavier material from the airstream and redirects it back to the pulverizer. This process is repeated until the material is fine enough to pass out of the machine. U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,586 discloses an apparatus primarily for handling and treating the discharge of manufactured material after a mill has processed it. The apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,707 uses rotating blades that vibrate. The material is passed through a liquid filled cylinder that uses the fluid to grind the material.
The apparatus in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,284,010 and 3,473,741 generate a sonic wave-like action. The solids material is passed through a narrowing passage between two anvils that incorporate a sonic wave-like action to crush the material. U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,426 discloses a pulverizing mill which uses chain flails and a chain curtain to pulverize the material without too much fine powder. The material is impacted by the chain flails and thrown against the chain curtain thus pulverizing it in the process. U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,141 discloses an apparatus employing centrifugal force to throw the solid material against the outer chamber walls. This process is repeated and the material recycled until the material is fine enough to pass through the screen and out of the machine. U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,251 discloses an apparatus using an air-circulating system to control the material size, separate the fines and circulate heated air to dry the material. The debarker of U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,906 uses flailing chains to sever and remove the outer bark from logs by impacting them with the chains. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,781, chain flails are used to repeatedly impact solid glass material until it is reduced to small enough pieces to pass out of the machine. The crusher disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,101 uses centrifugal force to throw the material against a set of outer anvils. This process is repeated until the material is fine enough to exit the machine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,104 discloses a machine which also uses chain flails to impact the logs thereby severing the limbs and removing the outer bark. The crusher in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,563 also uses chain flails, which impact and throw the material against an outer vessel with anvils inclined in such a way so as to redirect the material back toward the chains. The process is repeated until the material is fine enough to exit the machine.
While the above described machines and apparatuses include various rotatable members and other movable structures for pulverizing, crushing or fracturing solid materials, none of the above patents combine the use of a chain flail and rubber backed anvil plates and none of the patents suggest a combination creating standing sound waves and kinetic energy for crushing and fracturing the material particles as utilized in the present invention. While pulverizers and crushers are known to direct particles towards stationary anvil members, they do not provide angled anvils associated with a rotating chain flail which reflects sound waves and kinetic energy to fracture the materials that are introduced into the chamber in which the anvils and rotating flails are disposed.